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PHOENIX, AZ - MAY 17: Michael Pineda #35 of the New York Yankees delivers a warm up pitch against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the first inning at Chase Field on May 17, 2016 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images)

Yankees Game 38: Late game rally cannot overcome early Pineda struggles

New York Yankees 3 – Arizona Diamondbacks 5

After falling in the first game, the Yankees took on a tough task in Zack Greinke.

The Yankees were set down in order against Greinke and Michael Pineda looked to resolve some early game woes that have haunted him during the season. Despite a pair of singles, Pineda picked off one runner and struck out two to pitch a scoreless first inning, a rarity for the big righty.

In the top of the second, Starlin Castro put the Yankees on the board with a one-out, solo home run. Looking to continue his good run, Pineda aimed for a shut down bottom of the second inning.

After getting the first two outs, center fielder Chris Owings hit a line drive to the left field corner and took advantage of some slow fielding by Brett Gardner by reaching third with a two-out triple. Nick Ahmed made the most of the inning by hitting a single, tying the game at one. In the third inning, Jean Segura led off with a single and Chris Hermann reached with a single. Paul Goldschmidt broke the 1-1 tie with a single to left field. After getting the first out, Welington Castillo hit a single to left field that scored Hermann. Goldschmidt and Castillo executed a double steal but a pair of outs stranded the runners in scoring position and kept the deficit at two.

For the Yankees offense, 12 straight batters were retired following the Castro home run in the second inning.

Michael Pineda pitched a scoreless fourth inning but the fifth was his last inning. After striking out the first batter, Pineda walked Goldschmidt but Jake Lamb took Pineda deep to right center field for a two-run home run. Pineda struck out two around his own error.

In five innings, Michael Pineda allowed five runs on nine hits with one walk and nine strikeouts. Despite striking out nine and walking just one, nine hits is far too many hits to allow over five innings of work in a very strange line to end with.

From the sixth to the eighth inning, Chasen Shreve and Kirby Yates held the Diamondbacks down, with the assist of a diving snag of a line drive by Mark Teixeira. The Yankees managed a single in the sixth and seventh inning against Greinke but the rally began in the eighth inning.

Former Diamondback Didi Gregorius started with a single. Aaron Hicks followed with a single of his own, knocking Greinke out of the game. Daniel Hudson came in for relief and gave up a run on a ground out by pinch-hitter Carlos Beltran. Jacoby Ellsbury added a run, scoring Hicks, with a single to left field. Brett Gardner struck out on a pair of questionable strikes but a strikeout of Teixeira ended the rally.

The Yankees got one base runner in the ninth inning against closer Brad Ziegler but ultimately fell short in the second game of the series.

 

Win – Zack Greinke (4-3)

Loss – Michael Pineda (1-5)

Save – Brad Ziegler (8)

 

Notables

Yankees

*Starlin Castro – 2 for 4, R, Solo home run (5) in the 2nd, RBI (16)

*Jacoby Ellsbury – 1 for 4, RBI (10)

Diamondbacks

*Paul Goldschmidt – 2 for 3, R, BB, RBI (22)

*Jake Lamb – 1 for 4, R, Two-run home run (6) in the 5th, 2 RBI (23)

 

Current Yankees Record: 16-22